Tourism : Hidden Gems within the UK .. where ?

I started a post a couple of days ago about overrated tourist spots / attractions which has had a great number of super replies.

May as well try to add a bit of balance

Are there any real hidden gems within the UK .. which you really must visit ?

I live in Whitley Bay, which was maybe a sort of hidden gem in the past .. sadly no longer. But to be fair, things are on the up

The areas around Harwich, Shotley and Felixstowe are underappreciated. While it may 'stink' of industrialism, the Foot Ferry and Landguard fort especially are a must-see if you're ever round there.

The city of Bath has a couple of hidden gems, both because they're out of the way and the Roman Baths and general cityscape capture the most attention:

Alexandra Park: brilliant aerial views of the city, but you wouldn't know it's there without a chance discovery or seeing it advertised somewhere (I was at Uni in the city from 2014-17 and only discovered it a few weeks before I moved out at the very end). Be prepared for a very steep walk up to it though.
Prior Park in Bath is also good, it's a National Trust park (originally designed by Ralph Allen) with an ornamental bridge in it.

The Cumbrian Coast (bits at least), Arnside AONB, Furness area and the Howgill's. Everyone drives right past these to visit more famous areas close by, but they are all fantastic places.

Also, the Dark Peaks/Holmfirth/Stocksbridge/Penistone area. Again, most go to the nearby Peak District, but this is a pleasant area and you'll find things are a lot cheaper.

Iskra said:

The Cumbrian Coast (bits at least), Arnside AONB, Furness area and the Howgill's.…

Click to expand...

Agree with Arnside Knott, lovely area. Also Hampsfell near to Grange Over Sands.

Iskra said:

The Cumbrian Coast (bits at least), Arnside AONB, Furness area and the Howgill's. Everyone drives right past these to visit more famous areas close by, but they are all fantastic places.

Also, the Dark Peaks/Holmfirth/Stocksbridge/Penistone area. Again, most go to the nearby Peak District, but this is a pleasant area and you'll find things are a lot cheaper.

Click to expand...

Another vote from me.
Found some hidden gems there, thing is I never take note.
Same when I go on road trips elsewhere, I think 'This is great' but cannot recall where it was - when telling the story to other people.

dangie said:

Agree with Arnside Knott, lovely area. Also Hampsfell near to Grange Over Sands.

Click to expand...

Another vote for Arnside & Silverdale.
Also the Tanat Valley, Peebles & Upper Tweeddale & the Moffat Hills.

A few, one or two of which I've already mentioned.

1. The Tisbury area of Wiltshire. Extremely accessible by train, as most people on here can probably appreciate. Still unspoilt and deeply rural with a very nice landscape of rolling hills and a distinct lack of sprawling development. Tisbury itself is a large village/small town but is basically situated on rural country lanes which has presumably prevented expansion. A rare case of somewhere better served by train than by road, arguably. The complex geology with chalk hills two or three miles to the N and S together with greensand (I think?) hills nearby leads to a complex and interesting landscape.

2. The Teme Valley of Worcestershire. Haven't visited since 1998 but consists of a steep-sided valley and many smallish, steep-sided hills. I'd also add, in the same kind of area, the wooded hills immediately north of the Malvern Hills but lower, near the village of Knightwick on the A44. Basically I walked all the way from the Malvern Hills to the Church Stretton area, cross-country. The only problem I had, as I said in the other thread, is that the area was so little-frequented that many of the footpaths were in an appallingly bad state, being overgrown with trees and bushes and frequently blocked by barbed wire. Signposting often very poor too. Hopefully this has improved since as I believe a real effort to fix footpaths was made in the Blair years.

3. Not a million miles away from the above: the stretch of eastern Wales from Welshpool over to Bala. Again, visited some time ago (1999) and again I sampled it via a long-distance walk from the Church Stretton area eventually to the Snowdon area. Some similarity to the English counties the other side of the border: many steep-sided, green hills and quiet, unspoilt countryside. I distinctly remember the village of Pont Robert having a nice pub halfway though a day's walking through deserted countryside. This then leads into the Berwyn Mountains which are less craggy than other North Wales ranges but also less popular and quieter, which provides much appeal. There was a very nice ridge walk at the top.

The whole area did suffer from the same issues as Worcestershire though, namely blocked and poorly-signposted footpaths, so much so that at one point, I was very much behind schedule and had to give up and do the last 5 miles or so by road. Even that was scenic enough...

4. The Black Mountain (Mynydd Du) area in South Wales and the Llandovery area immediately to the north of it. Less frequented than the more eastern summits but a nice combination of high upland country and quiet rolling, green hills.

5. Not sure if the Vale of Rheidol counts, or whether the railway makes it too popular. But the footpath was quiet.

The Black Mountain (Mynydd Du) area in South Wales and the Llandovery area immediately to the north of it. Less frequented than the more eastern summits but a nice combination of high upland country and quiet rolling, green hills.

Magnificent road from Brynamman over the Black Mountain with some excellent views forward and back , and some "fun" zig-zag bends. Careful navigation of rural roads gets you to Carreg Cennen Castle and towards the Vale of Towy town of Llandybie , Llandeilo and Llandovery.

Wales "profonde" as the French might say......

Iskra said:

The Cumbrian Coast (bits at least), Arnside AONB, Furness area and the Howgill's. Everyone drives right past these to visit more famous areas close by, but they are all fantastic places.

Also, the Dark Peaks/Holmfirth/Stocksbridge/Penistone area. Again, most go to the nearby Peak District, but this is a pleasant area and you'll find things are a lot cheaper.

Click to expand...

I agree with all of those. Definitely Arnside and the Duddon Estuary around Kirkby in Furness. I must go back to the Howgills as I had 2 holidays near Sedbergh with my parents in the mid 1970’s.

Many of the areas of Derbyshire just outside the Peak District National Park are just as scenic as within the park yet often very quiet. I’d especially recommend the area around Ashover which is just a few miles west of the A61 between Alfreton and Chesterfield. The area south of Matlock around Cromford and Wirksworth is also a nice area to avoid the crowds.

Was going to talk about places in Kent, but I think half of London know it very well, so probably not a hidden gem! And I’m not sure I can recommend anywhere on the coast because of all the sewage that keeps getting pumped into it by the lovely water companies, as well as the worsening traffic congestion at Dover.

However, thinking of the places I like to go in the summer, when everyone else is at the beach, I’d recommend Sandwich. A relatively rare example of a preserved medieval town that was pretty much untouched by WW2 which I think is exceptional considering Kent was very much on the frontline. The town reminds me of some of the small towns I’ve visited in Belgium and the Netherlands. It’s worth coming to when there’s a festival here, such as the folk festival, French weekend, food festival, as the town really comes to life. On a normal day, it’s exceptionally quiet, but that may be part of its appeal.
Nearby there is Richborough Fort, arguably the most important Roman site in all of Britain. I’ve occasionally been there almost completely on my own.. It’s part of English Heritage.

dangie said:

Agree with Arnside Knott, lovely area. Also Hampsfell near to Grange Over Sands.

Click to expand...

Hampsfell, that sounds familiar. (Checks) yes, it was the hill i climbed outside Grange-over-Sands during a social event there some time ago. Agree, great views from the top.

ChrisC said:

I agree with all of those. Definitely Arnside and the Duddon Estuary around Kirkby in Furness. I must go back to the Howgills as I had 2 holidays near Sedbergh with my parents in the mid 1970’s.

Click to expand...

In the same area, what about the valley that Dent lies in, a little further to the east?

Very unspoilt, or at least it was in the year 2000 when I went there.

Lovely Clovelly on the N Devon coast.
A step outside of 'normal' life, whatever that is.

Alfriston East Sussex,some great walks up to on the South Downs or along the river to Cuckmere Haven and The Seven Sisters Country Park ,does get a bit busy though !

It would go for the Millennium Walkway at New Mills. Hidden away below the Hope Valley line, although I prefer starting from the Newtown station and going down into the gorge from there.

Cletus said:

It would go for the Millennium Walkway at New Mills. Hidden away below the Hope Valley line, although I prefer starting from the Newtown station and going down into the gorge from there.

Click to expand...

Nope, don't know that one. I did once get off at Newtown, walk to Central, and then continue on towards Manchester (on a Wayfarer ticket, loved the flexibility you got with that) - but this was 1993, so quite possibly if the name is accurate it didn't exist then.

I think I can picture where it might be, though.

A little teaser. The high wall has railway above it.

Farigiraf said:

The areas around Harwich, Shotley and Felixstowe are underappreciated. While it may 'stink' of industrialism, the Foot Ferry and Landguard fort especially are a must-see if you're ever round there.

Click to expand...

I visited Harwich last year, I really enjoyed it, I visited on a sunny Sunday afternoon while visiting family in Clacton, I sat outside The Pier Hotel with a cold cider and it was just lovely, really slow paced, quiet atmosphere.

Hard to believe it's only a stones throw away from a giant container port!

St Osyth, just outside of Clacton is also a lovely little place with loads of old buildings.

I find the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire to be rather underrated compared to the more famous areas with some great scenery, excellent walks and lovely villages.

I nominate Tenby
Im not entirely sure how "hidden" it is, but is a fantastic place that is relatively hard to get to. Great beach and an attractive high street, with a nice walk through to Saundersfoot as well

Hidden gem (if war memorabilia are your thing):
Once a Cold War naval magnetic monitoring station, The Bay Museum on Canvey Island in Essex looks more like a toilet block than a trove of military treasures. Inside, nearly every piece of wall space is packed with military items from both world wars, including weapons, medals, uniforms and models.

I would nominate the Upper Calder Valley in West Yorkshire. Hebden Bridge, one of the main towns is gem of a reinvented former mill town full of quirky independent shops, cafés, art galleries, restaurants and pubs....set at the junction of three beautiful steep-sided river valleys criss-crossed with great walking paths and cut in half by the Rochdale Canal with its colourful narrow boats. Todmorden, the largest town is slightly more workaday, but is rapidly gaining a reputation as an overspill for Hebden in terms of shops, pubs, restaurants and arts venues. Heptonstall, high on the hill above Hebden Bridge, is a beautiful unspoilt medieval village - much in demand by the makers of historical films - and it gives you an idea of what Haworth must have been like before mass Brontë tourism set-in. All these places are surrounded by beautiful unspoilt moorland - punctuated by glistening reservoirs - which provide far-ranging views and wonderful walking in fine weather.

Train Maniac said:

I nominate Tenby
Im not entirely sure how "hidden" it is, but is a fantastic place that is relatively hard to get to. Great beach and an attractive high street, with a nice walk through to Saundersfoot as well

Click to expand...

Not sure I'd really call it hidden, great place to visit but it was pretty busy the last time we went 2 years ago.

Somewhere which I think does qualify is Caldey Island, reachable by boat from Tenby and relatively quiet in terms of visitor numbers.

Sun Chariot said:

Hidden gem (if war memorabilia are your thing):

Inside the England museums averaging fewer than one visitor a day

What is it like for the volunteers who keep England's smallest attractions going?

www.bbc.co.uk

Once a Cold War naval magnetic monitoring station, The Bay Museum on Canvey Island in Essex looks more like a toilet block than a trove of military treasures. Inside, nearly every piece of wall space is packed with military items from both world wars, including weapons, medals, uniforms and models.

Click to expand...

Following on from the above's "strange / small / little-visited museums": I cannot resist mentioning a recent discovery of mine -- the National Poo Museum in Sandown, Isle of Wight (I'm not kidding). On a recent visit of mine, seemed to be well-patronised -- doing a lot better than some of those mentioned above. Smallish premises, but "much in little": all about -- often elaborately / ingeniously / intricately -- as per name, excrement / excretion (human, and of "the brute creation" generally) and a wide concourse of matters concerned therewith. On my visit -- young, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and pleasant and chatty staff: presiding over highly varied and sometimes mind-boggling content (choosing my words carefully here). Admission £5. Logging on to poomuseum.org -- will give plentiful info.

I would recommend Orford Ness if you have an interest in things military as it was where the casings
for the uk,s nuclear weapons were tested as well as other military things and most of the pagodas etc
are still there

barringtoncem said:

I would recommend Orford Ness if you have an interest in things military as it was where the casings for the uk,s nuclear weapons were tested as well as other military things and most of the pagodas etc are still there

Click to expand...

Orford (village) itself is rather nice. Whereas Orford Ness, in the middle distance, and on the far side of the River Alde, always seems, in comparison, to be a tad bleak.

brad465 said:

The city of Bath has a couple of hidden gems, both because they're out of the way and the Roman Baths and general cityscape capture the most attention:

Alexandra Park: brilliant aerial views of the city, but you wouldn't know it's there without a chance discovery or seeing it advertised somewhere (I was at Uni in the city from 2014-17 and only discovered it a few weeks before I moved out at the very end). Be prepared for a very steep walk up to it though.
Prior Park in Bath is also good, it's a National Trust park (originally designed by Ralph Allen) with an ornamental bridge in it.

Click to expand...

I like Smallcombe Wood, step 11 on this walk.


The Circus and Great Pulteney Street aren't hidden, but you need to stand in the middle of the Circus, clap loudly and get the echo. The best place to see Great Pulteney Street is from the first floor window in the Holbourne museum.

WestCoast said:

I find the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire to be rather underrated compared to the more famous areas with some great scenery, excellent walks and lovely villages.

Click to expand...

Agree.

I've only been there in January (!) but even then it wasn't without appeal. Reason being for many years I wanted to do something "different" over the New Year period and spend time well away from home, without necessarily going abroad.

On New Year's Day 2015 I walked from Lancaster to Slaidburn in the central valley (where I stayed; I had to look up the name of the village, I'm clearly getting old) over the tops, though poor weather moved in faster than forecast.

The following day I went up to one of the high points - Ward's Stone, I think - in better weather and the third day did a walk in the valley towards Dunsop Bridge.

On the final day the pub owner gave me a lift to Clitheroe station, around 6 miles south over the hills, where I got the train back southwards (Blackburn and then Preston).

nr758123 said:

Another vote for Arnside & Silverdale.

Click to expand...

And a big +1 from me too. I love the area. I would even include Morecambe Bay and HestBank on the way.

Just south of Stroud in Gloucestershire there is Rodborough Common and Minchinhampton Common, not well known, but unspoilt Cotswolds